Kate Westad will be the first person to tell you that she’s not from the beauty world. The lawyer-turned-entrepreneur came up with her “million-dollar idea” after a friend canceled a much-anticipated girls’ trip to Paris right before she was about to head to the airport. “I was sitting there, so upset, with my luggage all around me on the floor and all I could think about was, ‘Why do I need so much stuff? None of this stuff is important and—hell yes—I am still going.”

Noble Panacea. Even the name is impressive. Just like how this cutting-edge beauty brand is multi-layered in complex science and innovative development, so is its name. On the one hand, it may seem oblique. But you soon realise that it gives a nod to its founder Noble Prizewinner Sir Fraser Stoddart. On the other, it has a deeper significance, referencing academic connotations (Panacea is the Greek goddess of universal remedies) so that you know this is not your average, off-the-shelf cosmetic company.

At just 27, Jodie Comer is already a household name. Defining roles in Doctor Foster and Killing Eve, in which she plays impeccably-dressed assassin Villanelle, have made her one of the most sought-after actors right now. But in addition to her on-screen career, Comer has a side gig as the face of global skin-care brand Noble Panacea. The partnership makes total sense, seeing as Comer’s smooth, radiant skin is one of her calling cards — and yes, it really is that good up close. We caught up with Comer over a socially distanced coffee to talk treating hormonal breakouts, makeup must-haves, and the simple skin-care routine she swears by every day. On Her Role As A Skin-Care Ambassador “For me, everything is about integrity, including my acting,” Comer told Refinery29. “I’ve got to believe in something if I’m going to put my time into it, and I was blown away by Noble Panacea’s ethos and attitude towards what beauty is.” The brand was founded by Sir Fraser Stoddart, the 2016 Nobel Laureate for Chemistry, and champions active ingredients such as probiotics, which strengthen the skin’s barrier, and acids for gentle exfoliation. “There is so much science that has gone into these products and I think that’s authentic,” Comer said.

“I always have a pet peeve of when I watch period dramas where there’s never a hair out of place,” Jodie Comer said brightly, calling from a picturesque corner of France. It was exactly three weeks ago, and the 27-year-old had just wrapped another day on the set of The Last Duel, Ridley Scott’s upcoming project centered around a 14th-century clash, co-starring Matt Damon, Ben Affleck, and Adam Driver. “In those days, everything was a little bit more elaborate, but my character is very much a country girl,” Comer said, describing her on-camera coiffure—less labored-over than lived-in. “We’ve got all the lovely wispy bits. The ‘controlled mess,’ as we like to call it.”   Just days later—as the world took its own medieval turn, grappling with the newly declared pandemic—things felt decidedly less controlled. The film went on hiatus. Stores and restaurants shut their doors. Comer returned to England, to hibernate like the rest of us. But the actor’s work is not entirely on pause. Killing Eve, the cat-and-mouse series that she headlines alongside Sandra Oh, returns to BBC America ahead of schedule on April 12, to satisfy a newly captive audience. And today, Comer claims a new job title: global ambassador for the skin-care brand Noble Panacea.   “I’ve never imagined myself in this position,” Comer said, still marveling at the role. Since the line’s soft launch last fall, followed by a rollout via Net-a-Porter, Noble Panacea has proven to be an unconventional entry in the luxury beauty space, driven by science and sustainability. At the heart of the company’s formulations is a patented molecular framework—based on Nobel Prize–winning research by founder Sir Fraser Stoddart—that facilitates time-released delivery of active ingredients.   “They stand by what they say, and the proof is there,” Comer said, recommending her own secret weapon, the Overnight Recharge Cream: “You put it on, and you start the day off with a glow already.” It anchors the four-piece Brilliant Collection, geared toward a younger audience. The Absolute Collection, meanwhile, promises regeneration and extra nourishment for mature skin.   If the delivery system turns heads on the microscopic level, the more noticeable novelty is the packaging: single-serving sachets no bigger than a poker chip. The discs come with a collection envelope to facilitate easy return to Terracycle. “It’s a very conscious beauty approach,” added Comer, increasingly mindful of the way “we just consume, consume, consume.” It’s also convenient for frequent travelers—once we’re free to wander beyond our own homes again.   “I don’t know if you’re familiar with Liverpool, where I’m from, but Liverpool is the city of glam,” Comer said, explaining her introduction to beauty—the maximalist kind. She described the teenage ritual of getting a “curly blow” at the hairdresser’s, complete with round-brush styling and all-day rollers that “you take out at the last minute so your hair stays in longer.” She laughed at the memory of it all: the eyebrows that were “super heavily drawn on,” the big smoky eye, the obligatory contour. “I look back at pictures of myself, and I’m like, ‘Whoa!’” she said. “I respect my parents for just letting me get on with it!”   Season 3 of Killing Eve promises another take on all-out makeup: full clown regalia. “We shot that in Barcelona, so you can imagine the heat,” Comer said, joking about the hardship of giant floppy shoes. “I was kind of trying not to be a miserable clown through the whole couple of days that we shot that one—similar to Villanelle,” she said of her assassin character, who toggles between fearsome and impetuous. Comer posted a sneak peek of the clown makeup on Instagram, where—also like her alter-ego—she keeps her private life under wraps. “So much of what I do is so out there,” explained the actor, whose face is splashed across the April cover of British Vogue.   Maintaining social-media distancing is one way of setting boundaries—an ability she has come to admire in the “wickedly funny” Phoebe Waller-Bridge, who defined Killing Eve as the first season’s writer and showrunner. (In a twist, Waller-Bridge is set to turn up onscreen this season, playing a Villanelle victim.) “For me, Phoebe represents confidence, and I think that is incredibly attractive in a person,” Comer said, giving a shoutout as well to the London facialist they share, Jasmina Vico. Even with a skin-care hookup, it helps to have a professional look after one's complexion for the big screen.   That moment is slated to arrive with this summer's Free Guy, directed by Shawn Levy and starring Ryan Reynolds. “They are both incredibly fun and calm and nurturing,” Comer said of her introduction to the fast-paced action genre—challenging for the stunt work as well as the choreography. “You have to film things in sections,” she said, “so it’s stopping at points and then making sure that you pick up with the same energy.” That skill—to pause for an undetermined stretch of time and someday restart again—has never felt more necessary. In the meantime, a skin-care regimen that takes things day by day, with enough glow to wow a Zoom audience, is one way to see us through.

Sir Fraser Stoddart a remporté le prix Nobel de chimie en 2016 pour ses travaux sur les molécules. Les soins Noble Panacea, The Absolute pour les peaux dévitalisées et The Brillant pour les épidermes fatigués, en sont l’application directe.

Une dose quotidienne de soin

Contenue dans des Doses Actives Individuelles, la formule intègre l’Organic Molecular Vessel : une structure moléculaire capable de protéger, puis de libérer progressivement sur la peau, jusqu’à 67 ingrédients actifs, comme dans le baume de nuit The Absolute. Et parce que “l’innovation nécessaire au progrès se doit d’être responsable”, ajoute Céline Talabaza, CEO de la marque, un partenariat avec TerraCycle, via un système d’enveloppes prépayées, a même été mis en place pour collecter les doses journalières.

Move over dermatologists. With consumers digging deeper into ingredients, there’s rising interest in skincare from founders with different advanced degrees: scientists. Dermatologists might know a lot about treating skin, but scientists create the formulas.

  Among the skincare brands started by the evidence-loving bunch are Augustinus Bader, Good Science Beauty and Skin Actives Scientific. The latest example of a scientist-led brand is Noble Panacea, a luxury line selling a 30-day dose of its Absolute Intense Renewal Serum for $420 that’s based on research by Sir Fraser Stoddart, a Nobel Laureate and director of the Center for Chemistry of Integrated Systems at Northwestern University.   Admitting he isn’t a typical beauty entrepreneur, Stoddart says he serendipitously discovered what he named Organic Molecular Vessels (OMV), a time-released delivery method engineered from natural starches that drives Noble Panacea’s products. The method protects active ingredients such as retinol and peptides at the molecular level to preserve their potency until they can be released at the moment of need, explains Noble Panacea CEO Celine Talabaza. Put simply, she equates them to little houses with windows that open at the perfect point. The brand asserts OMV increases the efficacy of its products up to tenfold.     Following its launch in November, Noble Panacea is premiering today on Net-a-Porter and scheduled to enter Harrods in April. “Net-a-Porter has personal shoppers and offers the perfect one-on-one conversations to help educate people about the line,” says Talabaza, a product and marketing veteran who previously occupied roles at L’Oréal, Unilever and LVMH Louis Vuitton Moët Hennessy. Scientists don’t always make the best beauty marketers and her leadership is seen as a plus for the nascent brand.   Sustainability is a central tenant of Noble Panacea. OMV production is reported to be environmentally-friendly. It involves crystallization of carbohydrate and salt in a closed-loop, renewable process that doesn’t yield waste. Water is reused and re-purified in the production process. The packaging is equally environmentally-conscious. Mirroring the shape of the OMV technology, Noble Panacea’s octagon recyclable containers are composed of a starch substance. Also encased in a recyclable material, the products are individually packaged in so-called Active Daily Doses to ensure freshness. A refill option will be available later this year.     Talabaza emphasizes that emerging beauty brands have to be sustainable—and she’s adamant they must have a clear point of difference. She says, “If you are creating something new, you better do it right and come at all angles that are good for the environment.” Touting Noble Panacea’s sleek containers as a “modern take on high tech,” Talabaza continues, “Sustainable doesn’t have to lack aesthetic appeal.” The brand’s launch event last year was a black-tie event attended by a select group at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Talabaza says Noble Panacea decided to celebrate amid works of art “because Sir Fraser himself is an artist in chemistry.”   Noble Panacea has two collections: The Absolute and The Brilliant. Sporting lighter formulations and featuring bakuchiol, The Brilliant focuses on protective formulas and is especially good for younger skin. The Absolute has retinols and peptides for mature skin. “Although we strive for natural, we know the importance of retinols because they really work,” says Talabaza. The ingredients in Noble Panacea’s products are detailed on the brand’s website, which has a virtual concierge to guide customers. On the site, they can opt into the recycling program with TerraCycle by requesting a label for their empty Active Daily Doses.     The Brilliant collection consists of the Prime Radiance Serum Vibrant Eye Infusion, Radiant Resilience Moisturizer and Overnight Recharge Cream. Its prices range from $149 for the Eye Infusion to $253 for the Serum. The Absolute collection has the Intense Renewal Serum, Restoring Eye Cream, Active Replenishing Moisturizer and Rejuvenation Night Balm. The Restoring Eye Cream is the entry price point at $239, and the serum is the highest price point at $420. Talabaza says clinical tests show improvements in one week and substantially greater results in eight weeks.   The more than 40 years of research Stoddart has put into molecular studies is reflected in the hefty price tags, along with lofty concentration of quality ingredients batched in small doses. Talabaza isn’t shaken by any predictions of a skincare slowdown because of the positioning of the brand. She says, “We don’t talk about anti-aging, we talk about ageless solutions or well-aging, and we don’t have too many steps, but you do see results.” Noble Panacea declined to share a revenue projection for this year. By way of comparison, Augustinus Bader has racked up sales exceeding $6 million and is expected to hit $20 million in the next few years.   In addition to its commitment to sustainability, Noble Panacea checks off another box important to contemporary consumers—giving back. It’s committed to a three-year partnership with Girl Up, a nonprofit dedicated to promoting the health, safety, education and leadership of girls.

"The next morning, the redness I had from trying to exfoliate and extract my milia was gone." I love new products—no, seriously. I’m that whacko that made my parents wait in line with me for Harry Potter books; I preorder the newest iPhones at 4 a.m.; I always try new beauty brands; I change out appliances like most people change their underwear. It’s beyond just wanting to create new memories; I love innovation. Science and technology are exciting for me. You could call me a crazy nerd, but that would be like calling Dolly Parton a blonde guitar player.   When I found out about a new skincare line helmed by a Nobel Prize winner in chemistry called Noble Panacea, I started shaking like a Chihuahua—I couldn’t try it fast enough. I love panaceas (i.e. universal remedies) like giant shrimp and Japanese white peaches from Okayama, and I’m always looking for more things to cure whatever ails me.   If you’re wondering what sets this skincare line apart, I’ll tell you: a promise of high-quality ingredients and a higher quality delivery system with more penetration than any other products.  

First Impressions

Upon arrival, the packaging confused me. Every product came in small sachets containing daily allotted dollops. Given the lack of freedom around portion control and not being able to use less than the sachet’s dose of cream for the day, the monthly price tag clocks in at a whopping weight of $215 for Radiant Resilience Moisturizer, $253 for the Prime Radiance Serum, $232 for the Overnight Recharge Cream, and $149 for the Vibrant Eye Infusion. Because of the non-re-sealable sachets, that is a per month price, making it one of the most expensive lines I’ve ever used.   Skincare is what I choose to spend money on. Even well-before I became a beauty writer, I always prioritized creams over clothes. My complexion is closely linked to my mental health, and if I end up living in a yurt made out of my empty product containers someday, then that’s my choice—and at least I’ll have good skin.   The good thing about Noble Panacea’s packaging (more on this later) is that I don’t have to carry an entire pharmacy when I travel. Flying already sucks, and never mind the pain of pleading and begging a testy TSA agent not to throw away your expensive jar of cream that’s slightly over the limit.   Even though I feel like a chicken that’s just been plucked when I do the math on the annual price of Noble Panacea, I’ll say this: it’s an amazing product. I opted to try the Brilliant Collection as a preventative treatment. Time waits for no man, but it might wait for Nobel Prize-winning chemistry. After one night of using the product, I could see a difference in my skin. I had just gotten off of a long and very stressful plane ride while wearing a hat, so my forehead looked like it had been to war.   The next morning, the redness I had from trying to exfoliate and extract my milia was gone. My skin was glowing, and I hadn’t even slept on my back (I do this when I don’t want to lose product to my pillow).      

The Ingredients

  The ingredients in the product are really good: trioctyldodecyl citrate is a citric acid based skin-softening emollient, N-acetyl glucosamine is an amide used to reduce hyperpigmentation caused by aging and the sun, allantoin is a skin-protecting agent known for its anti-aging properties and speedy cell turnover, just to name a few of my favorites. It also has sea water, which is alkaline and packed with minerals to calm dry and irritated skin—and, in my opinion, is pretty damn cool.   All of the formulas check off my boxes for high-quality products: there’s no artificial or noticeable fragrance, and the line is free from phthalates, mineral oil, parabens, silicone, GMO’s, SLS & SLES, alcohol, nitrates, palm oil, petrolatum, artificial colors, and gluten—plus, it’s cruelty-free (not tested on animals).  

The Packaging

  Now, back to the packaging for a moment. The aluminum-free sachet is a bit hard to open; if you don’t tear it straight across perfectly, you may lose some product. I just used little scissors for this step, but there is definitely room for improvement here. The disposable sachets came a complimentary envelope for responsible recycling. Once your envelope is full of your month’s supply of aluminum and FSC-free packets, the instructions say to contact the Noble Panacea Skincare Concierge for a shipping label for you to print at home. Slap that thing on a box and send the envelope off in a mailbox with TerraCycle, a responsible recycling program.   Look, I’m a busy (lazy) 29-year-old woman with a full travel schedule and lots of things to worry about, like chalky makeup application at high altitude, why a frozen-foods heir is ghosting me, and the fact “anal bleaching” is in my recent Google search history. The truth is, I don’t have time to call anyone (besides my therapist) when I’m done using an expensive skincare product, much less print something (I’m always out of ink in my cartridge) and then drop it in a mailbox (no one walks anywhere in L.A.). While I appreciate the efforts that Noble Panacea goes to in order to protect their bioavailable product and its recyclable packaging, I’m not sending my empties anywhere besides my building’s trash shoot—and that’s if I’m even at home. I am very environmentally conscious in other ways, so nobody try and come for me.  

 

Takeaways

  After two weeks of using Noble Panacea’s entire Brilliant Collection, I’m seriously stunned. I brought it to a facial so that my esthetician could use the products during the treatment, and her feedback was also positive, aside from saying the texture was tacky. The tacky feeling goes away quickly though, because these creams literally melt into your skin. I prefer a heavier feeling product anyway, because my skin is oily yet consistently dehydrated because I’m too lazy to drink water. If the surface of my skin isn’t moisturized, I’ll breakout like a pre-teen.   I genuinely love how my skin looks and feels after using this for two weeks. The products don’t pill under makeup, but I haven’t even needed to wear any, thanks to this. I haven’t had a single breakout, despite traveling for Thanksgiving, eating what I did at Thanksgiving, and being outside in a blizzard at altitude. I’ve been in hot, cold, dry, and downright miserable weather conditions, but my skin hasn’t budged in clarity or complexion. I’m shocked that it’s felt so hydrated, too.   This is definitely a new add-on to the desert island list for me. If I had to choose just one product from the line to put on my team, it would be the Overnight Recharge Cream. If the price tag makes you gag, consider using it for a month when you’re in need of a full skin reset; think about it as the price of 2 facials. With the new year upon us, we could all use a fresh start before the roaring ‘20s. If your 2019 has been anything like mine, you deserve to give yourself the gift of perfect skin. Glowing skin might not cure all, but it certainly comes really close.

The invite to join Noble Laureate Sir Fraser Stoddart for “The Art of Chemistry: An Evening Experiencing A Skincare Revolution” was almost cryptic in its simplicity. It mentioned the introduction of something called Noble Panacea, which was to include a cocktail hour and a proper seated dinner. The venue: The Metropolitan Museum of Art. The dress code: Black tie. And yet, the intrigue was enough to lure a who’s-who of the fashion and beauty community uptown in the rain last night. Guests including supermodel Helena Christensen, art star Chloe Wise, and lifestyle entrepreneur Julia Restoin-Roitfeld gathered over market vegetable “terrariums” while Stoddart took the podium in the Sculpture Garden in the museum’s American Wing. Only five months earlier, Cher stood on a similar stage, in the same room, belting out hits to a packed Met gala crowd while Harry Styles cheered her on. “I guess it’s obvious I am not a typical skincare brand founder,” the Scottish-born 77-year-old chemist and the Director of the Center for Chemistry of Integrated Systems at Northwestern University said with a smile. “A decade ago, my team and I were not thinking specifically of discovering technology with skincare applications,” Stoddart continued. “But inventing things with the goal of having a positive impact on people was always my intention.” The technology Stoddart was referring to is something called Organic Molecular Vessels (OMVs), a “new and remarkable material” that he designed to protect active ingredients at the molecular level as a means of preserving their potency until they are released in a controlled and precise way. Engineered out of totally natural starches, which Stoddart noted are even edible, OMVs offer an unprecedented preservation and delivery system for volatile complexion-boosting mainstays, such as retinol, alpha hydroxy acids, and peptides. “Serendipity has led to many of the greatest breakthroughs in science,” he went on of the unexpected efficacy his team was able to achieve in clinical trials, which was so impressive, Noble Panacea successfully attracted beauty veteran Celine Talabaza as CEO; New York-based dermatologist Anne Chapas, M.D. has also signed on as dermatological advisor. Officially launching in mid-November, a pre-order link went live today for two separate lines—The Absolute and The Brilliant, each of which contains four separate, refillable pods packaged with a 30-day supply of individually dosed day cream, eye cream, night cream, and serum, as well as a bag from TerraCycle to collect the waste for national recycling—the reveal raised more than a few eyebrows. “Does it actually work,” models including Elsa Hosk and Georgia Fowler murmured as dinner was served? Makeup artist Hung Vanngo seemed convinced after an early sample of The Brilliant line helped turn his skin around following a few weeks of heavy travel. In addition to its commitment to sustainability, Noble Panacea will also have a social impact initiative at launch—a must for any brand hoping to endear itself to consumers (and avoid social media backlash) in 2020. The brand has committed to a 3-year partnership with Girl Up, a non-profit dedicated to promoting the health, safety, education, and leadership of girls in developing countries and worldwide. I will have plenty of other news to share in the coming months as well, Stoddart promised. “Per aspera ad astra,” he proclaimed before descending the stage. “With hard work, to the stars.”